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Chenle wasn’t sure why he thought he could escape the Jeno Curse.
The Jeno Curse wasn’t a real spell that they could study in class, although it may as well have been. Chenle’s name for the phenomenon hadn’t caught on yet, unfortunately, but everyone knew about it regardless. Every year without fail, since Chenle was a second year, one of his friends had fallen hopelessly in love with Lee Jeno.
It wasn’t just arrogance that made Chenle think he was immune to Jeno’s charms. It was also his irresistible urge to be contrary and prove his friends wrong, as they’d all been waiting with bated breath for Chenle, the only member of the group who had thus far escaped, to succumb to the Jeno Curse. That was probably the reason Jisung had suggested this whole thing in the first place.
Renjun wandered over and slipped into a seat beside Jisung at the long Ravenclaw table. Chenle technically shouldn’t have been there with them, but the professors had long since given up caring where any of the seven of them sat.
“Have you heard about Jeno?” Renjun asked in lieu of a hello. Chenle snorted, a fond smile growing on his face. Renjun’s chismosavirus was truly incurable, and even more so when it came to their best friends.
“What about him?” Jisung asked, sliding Renjun a plate. He’d saved his favourite dinner rolls for him.
“Apparently, he’s been rejecting everyone who asks him to the Yule Ball,” Renjun reported, giving Jisung’s hand a quick squeeze before grabbing one of the rolls and biting into it.
“Really?” Jisung asked, brows furrowed.
“Hmm, you think he’s waiting for someone special to ask him?” Chenle asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Renjun. Renjun kicked him under the table. Renjun was the most recent victim of The Jeno Curse, and Chenle loved to remind him of it.
“No, I think he’s just shy. And nervous. He hasn’t been on a date since Donghyuck, like three years ago,” Renjun said.
“Or maybe he’s scared after that mermaid thing from the last Triwizard Tournament. That anyone he goes with will get drowned in the lake or something. Spooky,” Chenle said, waggling his fingers.
“Chenle, you don’t have a date yet, right? You two should go together,” Jisung said. Renjun laughed and knocked Jisung’s shoulder with his own. In the moment, with plans to trip Jisung down the stairs brewing in his head, Chenle laughed too.
Later that night, lying in his bed in the dungeons and staring at the ceiling and unable to stop thinking about it, he wasn’t laughing. He was, for some reason, considering it seriously. He had kind of been assuming he’d just go alone, but he supposed it would be nice to have a date to the Yule Ball. What would Jeno wear? A muggle suit or formal robes? He’d look good in either. With a body like his, he’d look good in anything. Maybe he would offer to get Chenle a glass of punch, like in those American muggle movies Renjun snuck in. Would he be a good dancer, or would he stumble over his own nervousness? Would he lead, or would he let Chenle?
He tried to picture it. Jeno, offering him a hand, taking him in his arms and whirling him around the Great Hall. Maybe Chenle would step on his foot, on purpose, just to break the ice. Maybe they would laugh with their heads bent together, a joke shared just between the two of them. Maybe Chenle would feel Jeno’s breath on his lips.
He quickly turned over and tugged a pillow over his head, face feeling hot. He didn’t like Jeno like that. He couldn’t. Surely, he’d forget about this whole thing by morning.
🪄🪄
There was a Quidditch match the next day, between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The Cup had been cancelled due to the Triwizard Tournament taking its place as the main source of entertainment (and of putting students’ lives at risk) for the year, but Hogwarts was still putting on exhibition matches, mostly for scouts and to show off their skills to the other schools.
As the players exploded onto the field, Chenle kept an eye on Donghyuck, waiting for him to catch sight of him, Renjun, Jisung and Jaemin all sitting in the Hufflepuff stands, supporting Jeno. He grinned as he watched Hyuck lean over to Mark, pointing at them like he was tattling to an older brother. Mark just shook his head and stuck his tongue out at them. Jeno waved, the grin on his face brighter than the yellow of his robes.
It was a tough match-up, Jeno’s diligent, strong-and-steady Hufflepuffs against Mark’s brash and headstrong Gryffindors. Normally, Chenle would be absolutely enthralled by the gameplay, the strategy, and watching Bludgers knock the shit out of people. But today, he could only focus on Jeno, circling around the goals and knocking the Quaffle out of the air again and again. He was a beast of a Keeper. Chenle had watched him in action dozens of times, and played against him just as much. But watching him from the audience today felt like something totally new. He kept trying to look away, to focus on Donghyuck and Shotaro’s battle for the Snitch or Yangyang nearly tumbling off his broom, but Chenle was drawn to Jeno like a magnet, in a way he never had been before.
The nimble way he manoeuvred on his broom. The sheer power in his hits. The quick flash of muscular arm when his robe sleeves rode up. The bright shine of exertion and joy on his handsome face. Chenle couldn’t get enough of watching him.
“Jeno’s playing really well today, huh?” Chenle whispered to Jisung by his side. He glanced over at Chenle, eyebrows furrowed.
“Yeah. He is,” Jisung said. There was something in his voice that made Chenle feel a little squirmy. But he didn’t want to unpack that.
🪄🪄
At breakfast the next day, Chenle abandoned Jaemin to slip into the seat beside Jeno at the Hufflepuff table.
“Hey,” Jeno said, blinking at Chenle in surprise.
“Hi,” Chenle replied. He held out a chocolatine. He’d nabbed the last one for him. He hoped Jeno wouldn’t notice that his hands were shaking.
“Congrats on the win yesterday. You were awesome.”
“Oh. Thank you,” Jeno said, his bright smile overtaking his whole face. Did Jeno always look this handsome, or was it just the first time Chenle had noticed?
“So. I heard you don’t have a date for the Yule Ball,” Chenle said bluntly. No sense beating around the bush. He watched Jeno’s cheeks flood with colour.
“Oh. Um, yeah, I… I was actually thinking about maybe flying solo, you know?” Jeno said before taking a large bite of his pastry. Chenle blinked.
“Well, that’s annoying. I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go with me,” He said. Jeno turned to him immediately.
“You what?” He asked. His voice cracked a bit, and it made his blush even worse. Cute, Chenle thought.
“I was gonna ask if you would like to attend the Yule Ball together. Like, you with me.” The two of them sat in silence for several moments. The expression on Jeno’s face was one Chenle had only seen on him when he was working on a particularly difficult transfiguration problem.
“Are you… Is this a serious ask? Like you want to go with me? As my date?” Jeno asked finally. Chenle tilted his head. Sure, he pulled the occasional prank, but he couldn’t quite figure out why Jeno was doubting him.
“Well, I want to take you as my date. But yeah. I’m serious,” Chenle said. Jeno smiled at that.
“I think the Triwizard champions like, legally have to have dates. So you'll be my date, actually,” Jeno said. Chenle rolled his eyes, but a grin to match Jeno’s was growing on his face.
“Is that a yes?” Chenle asked. Jeno’s smile grew shy, and it made Chenle’s heart do something funny in his chest.
“Yeah. It is.”
🪄🪄
“So is it like… a date date? Like a romantic date?” Jisung asked later, lying in Chenle’s bed and pretending to work on his Ancient Runes paper.
“I don’t know. Neither of us specified,” Chenle said, trying his best to sound like he didn’t care one way or the other. And he didn’t. Well, he shouldn’t.
“Do you want it to be?” Jisung asked, like he could sense how much Chenle didn’t want to think about that exact question.
“I… I don’t know. I don’t think so. But who knows, right? Um… fuck it, we ball?” Jisung rolled over and locked Chenle with a dead-eyed stare when he said that. Chenle returned it, refusing to concede.
“You are so infuriating,” Jisung muttered, shaking his head and returning his attention to his parchment.
“I try,” Chenle said, shrugging and pretending Jisung’s question hadn’t gotten under his skin.
🪄🪄
Jeno met Chenle in the hall outside the Slytherin dorms. He was dressed in stuffy formal wizard robes, managing to somehow look both silly and handsome at the same time.
“My mom packed them for me,” He said sheepishly, before Chenle even had the chance to make a comment. It made the whole ensemble even more charming.
“I think you look lovely,” Chenle said, and even though he layered his words with greasy charm, he was telling the truth. Jeno did look lovely, even with a ruffled collar and sleeves. Jeno giggled, cheeks reddening with the praise. It made Chenle want to compliment him again, but Jeno spoke before he could.
“You look great too,” Jeno said, smiling wide at Chenle. Chenle smiled and gave a twirl. He looked quite handsome in his all-black suit, if he did say so himself, and hearing Jeno affirm it filled him with a warm balloon of pride.
“Oh, do go on,” Chenle said, and Jeno rolled his eyes and took him by the hand.
“I like the handkerchief,” Jeno said, grinning. Chenle blinked, mind too stuck on Jeno’s hand in his to recall what Jeno was referring to. And then he did remember, and blushed bright red. He’d bullied Renjun into lending him a yellow handkerchief, and also folding it into a neat little triangle for him to slip into his breast pocket.
“Yeah, well. Good,” Chenle said, not sure what to say and so defaulting to confrontation. Jeno laughed again, pulling Chenle after him to the Ball.
The Triwizard Champions had to make a grand entrance after everyone else was already inside, so Jeno led Chenle to a little room at the top of the grand staircase that the professors had conjured into the centre of the Great Hall. They filed down in pairs, the Durmstrang champion and his date, then the Beauxbatons champion Karina and her date, Chenle’s friend Yizhuo, who had near tackled him in a hug when she saw him. Jeno and Chenle brought up the rear.
“Well. I guess I am your date in the end,” Chenle whispered to Jeno as he took in all the eyes on them. Jeno snorted.
“Stupid,” Jeno murmured, voice warm. Chenle knocked his shoulder into Jeno’s, playful and fond.
They sat at a table at the front of the room with the other champions to eat, and then had to sit through dreadful speeches from all three of the headmasters before anyone could get up and dance. Chenle and Jeno spent the whole time repeating lines from the speeches back to each other in silly voices, and playing hand games under the table, and trying their best to make the other laugh loud enough to get yelled at.
Finally, the Headmaster concluded his speech. As soon as he was given the okay, Jeno was on his feet, bouncing up and down and offering a hand to Chenle. Sometimes, Jeno really did remind Chenle of his fluffy puppy Patronus.
“May I have this dance?” Jeno asked, bowing extravagantly.
“Why, of course, sweet prince,” Chenle replied, equally ostentatious.
Chenle had imagined this moment a thousand times in the past few days, but for some reason, in his head, there was always a little awkward period as they started to dance, before they got used to each other. He had been looking forward to it a little, to clowning Jeno and giggling with him as they stumbled. But really, Chenle should have known that Jeno would be as good at this as he was at everything else.
“I love this song,” Jeno whispered as the band started, because, of course, he had been in orchestra before his Quidditch team responsibilities got to be too time-consuming, and he knew all the songs. He rested a gentle hand on Chenle’s waist and clasped Chenle’s hand tight with the other, and began to gently guide him across the dance floor. Jeno took control easily, in a way that felt warm and inviting. Chenle couldn’t help but fall into his orbit, his body responding easily to Jeno’s every movement. It felt magical, the way they were so in sync.
So Jeno was a good dancer. Chenle, for some reason, couldn’t stop thinking about how he might have gone his whole life without knowing it, if it weren’t for Jisung and his big mouth. Something in him ached at the thought of never getting to experience this at all, but also of never getting to experience it again.
They danced like that for several songs, just the two of them. Then, the band picked up the tempo, and they were swept up into the swarm that was their friends, all seven of them jumping and shimmying and tripping over each other. Chenle’s feet hurt from getting stepped on, and his face hurt from smiling.
Chenle could’ve danced like that for hours. But, after a while, he saw Jeno was starting to retreat into himself, getting less and less involved in their big circle. He drifted over to him and took him by the wrist.
“Wanna get out of here?” He whispered, a cheeky grin on his face. Jeno blinked, and looked for a second as if he was thinking about it, like he hadn’t even realized his social energy was low.
“Yeah,” He said, smiling sheepishly. Chenle could feel his heart melt in his chest. “I do.”
Chenle dragged him up to the very top of the Divination tower. Divination was one of his favourite classes, mostly because he loved drinking tea and bullshitting, but also because it was one of the few classes he’d had with Jeno. They had been partners. Chenle had spent hours holding Jeno’s hand in his, tracing out his future in the lines of his palm.
Maybe that was when Chenle had first started falling for Jeno. When Jeno had taken Chenle’s own hand, and pointed to his love line, and told him it said he was destined to find a soulmate as stubborn as he was.
Or maybe it had been when Chenle was sick and Jeno had made him a soup that looked like something from a Potions exam. It could have been one of the many, many times Jeno had been ready to head in after Quidditch practice, but stayed because Chenle asked for just ten more minutes. Or when Jeno had pulled an all-nighter with him to help him study for his Care of Magical Creatures OWL, because he knew Chenle was struggling. Maybe it was even the first time they met, back when Jeno was just Renjun’s friend, and when Chenle had haughtily informed Jeno that Hufflepuff was absolutely going to lose the House Cup, Jeno had just grinned and said not if he had anything to do with it.
The Divination classroom was quiet, crystal balls covered and teacups balanced in precarious stacks in the cabinet. Chenle cracked the window open and clambered out onto the wide, flat windowsill. Jeno climbed out beside him. The two of them sat quietly, leaning against each other, legs dangling. The school grounds stretched out before them. The endless windows of the castle glittered in the moonlight. Chenle felt a bit like they were alone at the edge of the world, at the precipice of something huge.
“Chenle? Can I tell you something?” Jeno whispered. Chenle could feel his shoulders shifting as he breathed.
“Of course,” Chenle whispered back.
“I, um… Well, first, thank you for asking me to the Ball. I had a really good time, and I don’t think I would have without you.” Chenle inexplicably felt tears well behind his eyes. He rested his hand over Jeno’s and squeezed, telling him to continue.
“And… okay. I don’t know if you really wanted it to be a date, but…” Jeno took a deep breath, and his voice grew louder, steadier. “I think I want that. I really like you, Chenle.”
Chenle sucked in a breath. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. He grasped Jeno’s hand tight, and then reached out to rest his hand on Jeno’s jaw and turn his face towards his.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Chenle said. It came out quieter than he’d intended. Jeno’s eyes widened. And then closed, as Chenle leaned in.
Of course, Jeno was a good kisser. Chenle wouldn’t expect anything less.